If you need a book to get you out of a reading slump, The Waiter by Kwan Ann Tann is your next must read. Set in not-so-distant dystopian London, the city is being swallowed to the ground by ‘Maws’, unexplained mass holes that devour ‘whatever lies in their path – roads, buildings, people.’
With 11 different endings, you the reader are placed in the driver’s seat, deciding your path and immersing yourself into a world of chaos.
Its unique ‘choose your own ending’ story structure follows you, The ‘Waiter’, whose job it is to do all the mundane and menial tasks people with money to spare have no time for, whether its waiting in line for the hottest new bakery donuts, cinema tickets, or even stirring soup so it stays at the right temperature…
I read this book in one sitting during a long and arduous train journey, one that I could not put down. Flicking back and forth through the pages, I just had to keep on reading in order to uncover what happened in all 11 endings, exploring the different outcomes through the maze of storylines and possible choices I had yet to make.
In my opinion the book is written brilliantly well, right from the opening scene we the reader are transported into the world of ‘the waiter’. Through the use of precise and descriptive storytelling, it perfectly captures the dreariness of riding the tube in dystopian London.
The Waiter explores themes of capitalism, the unpredictability of time and the consequences of the decisions we make along the way. We the reader are given the opportunity to retract these decisions and explore the parallel lives that emerge from each choice. The book highlights the loneliness that walks hand in hand with working a draining and relentless job for an unruly corporation that values reputation and profit over its employees.
Each ending is as interesting as the next, with some more twisted the others – the order in which I unintentionally read the endings unravelled seamlessly, with some endings interconnected with each other, finding snippets of information that linked one ending to another made for a very satisfying and rewarding read.
Spanning over only 120 pages, this book is the perfect mix of refreshing and inventive storytelling that encapsulates the trials and tribulations of human existence.
Rating: 5/5
